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In the agent details and instructions, define the agent and its behavior. This definition shapes the agent's tone, scope, and response style.
- Agents powered by the GitHub Copilot harness use instructions as the primary mechanism for controlling agent behavior. The enhanced orchestration runtime interprets these instructions when responding to users. Instructions tell the agent what to do, how to respond, and what to avoid.
- Agents powered by the Copilot chat harness depend on instructions to decide what resources (tools, knowledge, topics, or other agents) to call to address a user query or autonomous trigger. They use instructions to fill inputs for any tool based on the available context and generate a response to the end user.
Configure the following elements from the Build tab for agents powered by the GitHub Copilot harness or the Configure tab for agents powered by the Copilot chat harness.
- Agent name: An editable name field where you set the agent's display name.
- Agent icon: An icon for your agent. You can replace the default icon and its color with something more representative.
- Instructions: Natural language guidance that shapes the agent's behavior, tone, and scope.
Configure your agent's details and instructions
Open your agent in Copilot Studio.
Select the Build tab or Configure tab, depending on your agent's harness.
To update the agent name:
- For agents powered by the GitHub Copilot harness, select the name field and enter a new name.
- For agents powered by the Copilot chat harness, select Edit in the Details section, and then select the name field to enter a new name. The maximum length for the name is 42 characters. The name can't include angle brackets (
<and>). In the Description field, you can also provide a brief description of what the agent will do.
To replace or customize the agent icon:
- For agents powered by the GitHub Copilot harness, select the existing icon. In the Change agent icon dialog, select a new icon from the catalog or upload the icon you want. The icon must be in PNG format, and its size must be 100 KB or less. Select Colors to choose a different color or add an accent color. Select Apply to save your changes.
- For agents powered by the Copilot chat harness, select Edit, select Change icon, and then select Change icon to upload a new icon. The icon must be in PNG format. For best performance, use a size of 192x192 pixels and 100 KB. Select Save to save your changes.
In the Instructions section, select the space under Instructions and begin typing. Enter natural language instructions that guide the agent's behavior. Be specific about the agent's purpose, tone, and boundaries. Select Save.
Write effective instructions
Instructions are the most important tool for shaping agent behavior in agents. Well-written instructions help the agent stay on topic, respond in the right tone, and handle edge cases appropriately.
Consider including:
- The agent's primary role and purpose.
- The tone and style the agent should use (formal, friendly, concise).
- Subjects or tasks the agent should decline or redirect.
- How the agent should handle unclear or ambiguous user input.
- Any escalation or handoff triggers.
Tip
Start with a clear, simple description of the agent's purpose and expand from there. You can update instructions iteratively as you test the agent's behavior.
For general guidance on writing agent instructions, see Write agent instructions. (Some guidance in that article is specific to the standard harness's topic-based model.)